Methods of forming a microelectronic device structure, and related microelectronic device structures and microelectronic devices

ABSTRACT

A method of forming a microelectronic device structure comprises coiling a portion of a wire up and around at least one sidewall of a structure protruding from a substrate. At least one interface between an upper region of the structure and an upper region of the coiled portion of the wire is welded to form a fused region between the structure and the wire.

FIELD

The disclosure, in various embodiments, relates generally to the fieldof manufacturing microelectronic devices. More particularly, embodimentsof the disclosure relate to methods of forming a microelectronicstructure including a wire welded to another structure, and to relatedmicroelectronic device structures and microelectronic devices.

BACKGROUND

Microelectronic devices typically include an integrated circuit (IC) die(e.g., chip) housed within an IC package that is mounted to a printedcircuit board (PCB). The IC package generally includes lead structures(e.g., pins, columns, balls, etc.) soldered to the PCB and coupled tobond pads on the IC die by way of bonding wires, also known as wirebonds. Conventionally, the bonding wires are attached to the leadstructures of the IC package and to the bond pads of the IC die throughone or more of solder joints, braze joints, and weld joints. The bondpads and bonding wires electrically connect the circuitry of the IC dieto the lead structures of the IC package so that the circuitry can beused in the microelectronic device.

Unfortunately, conventional configurations (e.g., shapes, sizes,material compositions, arrangements, etc.) of bonding wires, leadstructures, and/or joints (e.g., solder joints, braze joints, weldjoints, etc.) between the bonding wires and the lead structures can beinsufficient to lastingly employ microelectronic devices exhibiting suchconventional configurations in hostile environments, such as thehigh-temperature, high-pressure, corrosive, and/or abrasive environmentsfrequently associated with downhole applications (e.g., drillingapplications, conditioning applications, logging applications,measurement applications, monitoring applications, exploringapplications, etc.). For example, at temperatures above 200° C., thecopper of conventional silver plated copper bonding wires may migratethrough the silver plating and react with the tin of conventional solderjoints to form bronze crystals that weaken and decrease the life of thesolder joint. In addition, the configurations and methods of formingconventional weld joints (e.g., conventional butt joints, conventionallap joints, etc.) between bonding wires and other structures (e.g., leadstructures, etc.) can result in weak points (e.g., a necked-down region)and/or can facilitate unmitigated strain between the conventional weldjoints and the other structures, which can effectuate undesirabledetachment of the bonding wires during use and operation.

It would, therefore, be desirable to have new methods and structuresthat facilitate the connection of components (e.g., lead structures,etc.) of a microelectronic device while mitigating one or more of theproblems conventionally associated with such connection.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein include methods of forming amicroelectronic device structure, related microelectronic devicestructures, and related microelectronic devices. For example, inaccordance with one embodiment described herein, a method of forming amicroelectronic device structure comprises coiling a portion of a wireup and around at least one sidewall of a structure protruding fromanother structure. At least one interface between an upper region of thestructure and an upper region of the coiled portion of the wire iswelded to form a fused region between the structure and the wire.

In additional embodiments, a microelectronic device structure comprisesa structure protruding from a surface of another structure andcomprising a proximal region adjacent an interface between the structureand the surface of the another structure and a distal region opposingthe proximal region, a wire coiled around at least one sidewall of thestructure, and a fused region integral and continuous with the distalregion of the structure and a terminal end of the wire.

In further embodiments, a microelectronic device comprises amicroelectronic device structure comprising at least one structurelongitudinally projecting from a surface of another structure, and atleast one wire coupled to the at least one structure. A portion of theat least one wire is coiled up and around the at least one structure andis attached to the at least one structure through at least one fusedregion integral and continuous with the at least one structure and theat least one wire

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial, side elevation views illustrating a method offorming a microelectronic device structure, in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods of forming a microelectronic device structure are described, asare microelectronic device structures, and microelectronic devices. Insome embodiments, a method of forming a microelectronic device structureincludes coiling a wire up and around a structure protruding from asubstrate, and then subjecting upper regions of the structure and thecoiled portion of the wire to at least one welding process to fuse thewire to the structure. The configurations (e.g., shapes, sizes, materialcompositions, arrangements, etc.) of the wire and the structure may beselected relative to one another to form a robust connection (e.g.,joint) between the wire and the structure having one or more enhancedproperties (e.g., structural integrity, thermal stability, corrosionresistance, etc.) as compared to many conventional connections betweenwires and structures. The microelectronic device structure may beincluded in a microelectronic device for use in a given application(e.g., a downhole application, an aerospace application, a purifiedliquid and gas handling application, a medical application, apetrochemical application, an industrial application, etc.). Themethods, microelectronic device structures, and microelectronic devicesof the disclosure may provide reduced costs and enhanced efficiency,reliability, and durability relative to conventional methods,microelectronic device structures, and microelectronic devices.

The following description provides specific details, such as materialtypes and processing conditions in order to provide a thoroughdescription of embodiments of the disclosure. However, a person ofordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments of thedisclosure may be practiced without employing these specific details.Indeed, the embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced inconjunction with conventional fabrication techniques employed in theindustry. In addition, the description provided herein does not form acomplete process flow for forming a microelectronic device structure ora microelectronic device. Only those process acts and structuresnecessary to understand the embodiments of the disclosure are describedin detail below. Additional acts to form the complete microelectronicdevice structure and/or microelectronic device may be performed byconventional fabrication techniques. Also note, any drawingsaccompanying the present application are for illustrative purposes only,and are thus not drawn to scale. Additionally, elements common betweenfigures may retain the same numerical designation.

As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,”“characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive oropen-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements ormethod steps, but also include the more restrictive terms “consistingof” and “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof.As used herein, the term “may” with respect to a material, structure,feature or method act indicates that such is contemplated for use inimplementation of an embodiment of the disclosure and such term is usedin preference to the more restrictive term “is” so as to avoid anyimplication that other, compatible materials, structures, features andmethods usable in combination therewith should or must be, excluded.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, relational terms, such as “first,” “second,” “top,”“bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “over,” “under,” etc., are used for clarityand convenience in understanding the disclosure and accompanyingdrawings and do not connote or depend on any specific preference,orientation, or order, except where the context clearly indicatesotherwise.

As used herein, the term “substantially” in reference to a givenparameter, property, or condition means and includes to a degree thatone of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the givenparameter, property, or condition is met with a degree of variance, suchas within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example,depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that issubstantially met, the parameter, property, or condition may be at least90.0% met, at least 95.0% met, at least 99.0% met, or even at least99.9% met.

As used herein, the term “about” in reference to a given parameter isinclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by thecontext (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated withmeasurement of the given parameter).

As used herein, each of the terms “configured” and “configuration”refers to a size, shape, material composition, and arrangement of one ormore of at least one structure and at least one apparatus facilitatingoperation of one or more of the structure and the apparatus in apre-determined way.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial, side elevation views illustrating embodimentsof a method of forming a microelectronic device structure including atleast one wire (e.g., at least one bonding wire) coupled to at least oneother structure (e.g., at least one pin, such as at least one I/O pin).With the description as provided below, it will be readily apparent toone of ordinary skill in the art that the process described herein maybe used in various applications. In other words, the process may be usedwhenever it is desired to attach a wire to another structure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a microelectronic device structure 100 may includea substrate 102, at least one structure 104 projecting (e.g.,protruding, extending, etc.) from the substrate 102, and at least onewire 106 at least partially surrounding the structure 104. As usedherein, the term “substrate” means and includes a base material orconstruction upon which additional materials are formed. The substrate102 may be an IC package, a ceramic or fiberglass-reinforced (e.g. FR-4)circuit board, a polymeric material (e.g., a polyimide material), asemiconductor substrate, a metal electrode, or a semiconductor substratehaving one or more materials, structures, or regions formed or otherwiselocated thereon. Previous process acts may have been conducted to formmaterials, regions, or junctions in the base semiconductor structure orfoundation. By way of non-limiting example, the substrate 102 maycomprise one or more of silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon with nativeoxide, silicon nitride, a glass, a polymeric material, a semiconductormaterial, a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic material, a metal oxide, atitanium nitride, tantalum, a tantalum nitride, niobium, a niobiumnitride, a molybdenum nitride, molybdenum, tungsten, a tungsten nitride,copper, cobalt, nickel, iron, aluminum, and a noble metal. In someembodiments, the substrate 102 comprises a material formulated tomaintain structural stability at high temperatures (e.g., temperaturesgreater than or equal to about 150° C.), such as a polyimide material.Suitable materials are commercially available from numerous sources,such as from Dupont Company (Wilmington, Del.), under the KAPTON®tradename.

As shown in FIG. 1, the structure 104 (e.g., pin) may longitudinallyextend from an upper surface 116 the substrate 102. As used herein, eachof the terms “longitudinal” and “vertical” means and includes extendingin a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate 102,regardless of the orientation of the substrate 102. Accordingly, as usedherein, each of the terms “lateral” and “horizontal” means and includesextending in a direction substantially parallel to the substrate 102,regardless of the orientation of the substrate 102. In some embodiments,the structure 104 is integral and continuous with the substrate 102. Forexample, the structure 104 and a conductive structure such as a contactor wiring trace on the substrate 102 may form a single, substantiallymonolithic body. In additional embodiments, the structure 104 and thesubstrate 102 are discrete from but connected to one another. Forexample, the structure 104 may be attached to the upper surface 116 ofthe substrate 102. In some embodiments, the structure 104 extends intoand contacts surfaces within an opening (e.g., a via, such as a blindvia or a through via) in the upper surface 116 of the substrate 102,such as an inner wiring layer of a circuit board.

The structure 104 may include at least one sidewall 108 (shown as dashedlines), and at least one upper surface 110 distal from the upper surface116 of the substrate 102. The structure 104 may exhibit any desiredshape and any desired size facilitating the attachment of the wire 106thereto, as described in further detail below. The shape and the size ofthe structure 104 may facilitate direct physical contact between thestructure 104 and at least a portion of the wire 106. The shape and thesize of the structure 104 may be selected to maximize the surface areaof the wire 106 that directly physically contacts the surface area ofthe structure 104. For example, the shape and the size of the structure104 may be selected to permit a portion of the wire 106 to be coiled(e.g., spiraled) around the structure 104 with substantially no space(e.g., separation) between each sidewall 108 of the structure 104 and asurface of the coiled portion of the wire 106 across an entire length ofthe coiled portion of the wire 106. In some embodiments, the structure104 comprises cylindrical column (e.g., pin) exhibiting a height H₁ anda width W₁ (e.g., diameter). In additional embodiments, the structure104 may exhibit a different shape (e.g., a dome shape, a cone shape, afrusto cone shape, a tube shape, rectangular column shape, a fin shape,a pillar shape, a stud shape, a pyramid shape, a frusto pyramid shape,an irregular shape, etc.) and/or a different size (e.g., a differentheight, a different width, etc.). Accordingly, the structure 104 mayexhibit any desired lateral cross-sectional shape (e.g., a circularshape, an ovular shape, a square shape, a rectangular shape, a trapeziumshape, a trapezoidal shape, a parallelogram shape, an annular shape, atriangular shape, a semicircular shape, an elliptical shape, etc.) andany desired lateral cross-sectional area. In some embodiments, thestructure 104 exhibits a substantially circular lateral cross-sectionalshape.

The structure 104 may be formed of and include at least one materialthat is resistant to one or more of thermal degradation, chemicaldegradation (e.g., corrosion), and physical degradation (e.g., abrasion,erosion, etc.). The structure 104 may, for example, be formed of andinclude at least one material suitable for use in high-temperature,high-pressure, corrosive, and/or abrasive environments, such as theextremely aggressive environments of various downhole applications(e.g., drilling applications, conditioning applications, loggingapplications, measurement applications, monitoring applications,exploring applications, etc.). By way of non-limiting example, thestructure 104 may be formed of and include a high melting point,corrosion-resistant conductive material, such as a metal (e.g.,tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, hafnium, tantalum,chromium, zirconium, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium,nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, aluminum, etc.), ametal alloy (e.g., a cobalt-based alloy, an iron-based alloy, anickel-based alloy, an iron- and nickel-based alloy, a cobalt- andnickel-based alloy, an iron- and cobalt-based alloy, a cobalt- andnickel- and iron-based alloy, an aluminum-based alloy, a copper-basedalloy, a magnesium-based alloy, a titanium-based alloy, a steel, alow-carbon steel, a stainless steel, etc.), a conductivemetal-containing material (e.g., a conductive metal nitride, aconductive metal silicide, a conductive metal carbide, a conductivemetal oxide), a conductively doped semiconductor material (e.g.,conductively doped silicon, conductively doped germanium, conductivelydoped silicon germanium), a conductive ceramic material (e.g., carbides,nitrides, oxides, and/or borides, such as carbides and borides of atleast one of tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, hafnium,tantalum, chromium, zirconium, aluminum, and silicon), a conductiveceramic-metal composite material, or combinations thereof. In someembodiments, the structure 104 is formed of and includes a metal alloyincluding elements of one or more of Groups VIII and IB of the PeriodicTable of Elements (e.g., two or more of iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt,rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, andgold), such as a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy. Suitable materials for thestructure 104 are commercially available from numerous sources, such asfrom CRS Holdings, Inc. of Wilmington, Del., under the trade nameKOVAR®. In some embodiments, the structure 104 is formed of and includesKOVAR® alloy.

While various embodiments herein are described and illustrated in thecontext of the microelectronic device structure 100 including only onestructure 104 (i.e., a single structure 104), the microelectronic devicestructure 100 may, alternatively, include more than one structure 104(i.e., multiple structures 104). In such embodiments, each of themultiple structures 104 may be substantially the same (e.g., exhibitsubstantially the same shape, size, and material composition) as oneanother, or at least one of the multiple structures 104 may be different(e.g., exhibit at least one of a different shape, a different size, anda different material composition) than at least one other of themultiple structures 104.

The wire 106 comprises an at least partially conductive structure atleast partially surrounding the structure 104. As shown in FIG. 1, thewire 106 may include a sheathed region 112 and an unsheathed region 114.The sheathed region 112 may include an insulating material surrounding(e.g., enveloping, encasing, etc.) a conductive material, and theunsheathed region 114 may be substantially free of the insulatingmaterial (e.g., the insulating material may be absent from theunsheathed region 114 such that a conductive material is exposed). Eachof the sheathed region 112 and the unsheathed region 114 of the wire 106may physically contact and at least partially surround the structure104. For example, and as described in further detail below, the sheathedregion 112 may physically contact and at least partially surround alower region (e.g., a region proximate the upper surface 116 of thesubstrate 102) of the structure 104, and the unsheathed region 114 mayphysically contact and at least partially surround an upper region(e.g., a region proximate the upper surface 110 of the structure 104, aregion distal to the upper surface 116 of the substrate 102 from whichthe structure 104 extends) of the structure 104. In additionalembodiments, the sheathed region 112 may not physically contact and atleast partially surround the structure 104. For example, the sheathedregion 112 may be sufficiently recessed relative to a terminal end ofthe wire 106 so that only the unsheathed region 114 thereof physicallycontacts and at least partially surrounds the structure 104, or thesheathed region 112 may be completely omitted from the wire 106 so thatthe wire 106 comprises an unsheathed, conductive structure.

The wire 106 may be formed of and include any material composition thatis compatible with the material composition of the structure 104, andthat is resistant to one or more of thermal degradation, chemicaldegradation (e.g., corrosion), a physical degradation (e.g., abrasion,erosion, etc.). As used herein, the term “compatible” means and includesa material that does not react with, break down, or absorb anothermaterial in an unintended way, and that also does not impair thechemical and/or mechanical properties of the another material in anunintended way. By way of non-limiting example, the wire 106 may beformed of and include a conductive material that is able to be welded(e.g., laser welded, pulse arc welded, etc.) to the structure 104 toform a fused region (e.g., weld joint) that maintains structuralintegrity under the conditions (e.g., high temperatures, high pressures,corrosive materials, abrasive materials, etc.) present in a downholeenvironment. The conductive material of the wire 106 may, for example,be selected relative to the conductive material of the structure 104 toform a fused region that maintains structural integrity at temperatureswithin a range of from about −40° C. to about 350° C. or higher, such astemperatures greater than or equal to about 150° C., greater than orequal to about 200° C., greater than or equal to about 250° C., greaterthan or equal to about 300° C., or greater than or equal to about 350°C. In some embodiments, the wire 106 is formed of and includes aconductive material that is able to be welded to the structure 104 toform a fused region that maintains structural integrity at temperaturesgreater than or equal to about 200° C.

By way of non-limiting example, depending at least on the materialcomposition of the structure 104, the conductive material of the wire106 may be formed of and include a metal (e.g., tungsten, titanium,molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, hafnium, tantalum, chromium, zirconium,iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium,platinum, copper, silver, gold, aluminum, etc.), a metal alloy (e.g., acobalt-based alloy, an iron-based alloy, a nickel-based alloy, an iron-and nickel-based alloy, a cobalt- and nickel-based alloy, an iron- andcobalt-based alloy, a cobalt- and nickel- and iron-based alloy, analuminum-based alloy, a copper-based alloy, a magnesium-based alloy, atitanium-based alloy, a steel, a low-carbon steel, a stainless steel,etc.), a conductive metal-containing material (e.g., a conductive metalnitride, a conductive metal silicide, a conductive metal carbide, aconductive metal oxide), a conductively doped semiconductor material(e.g., conductively doped silicon, conductively doped germanium,conductively doped silicon germanium), a conductive ceramic material(e.g., carbides, nitrides, oxides, and/or borides, such as carbides andborides of at least one of tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, niobium,vanadium, hafnium, tantalum, chromium, zirconium, aluminum, andsilicon), a conductive ceramic-metal composite material, or combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the conductive material of the wire 106 isformed of and includes a metal selected from one of Groups VIII and IBof the Periodic Table of Elements (e.g., iron, ruthenium, osmium,cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver,and gold), such as nickel (Ni). For example, in some embodiments, suchas in some embodiments wherein the structure 104 is formed of andincludes KOVAR® alloy, the conductive material of the wire 106 is formedof and includes substantially pure (e.g., elemental) Ni, such as Ni200.In additional embodiments, the conductive material of the wire 106 isformed of and includes substantially pure copper (Cu). The conductivematerial of the wire 106 may be substantially homogeneous (e.g.,unplated, such as a metal structure substantially free of another metalstructure thereover), or may be heterogeneous (e.g., plated, such as ametal structure having another metal structure thereover). In someembodiments, the conductive material of the wire 106 is substantiallyhomogeneous.

The conductive material of the wire 106 may comprise an annealed (e.g.,heat treated) conductive material (e.g., an annealed metal, such asannealed Ni or annealed Cu; an annealed metal alloy; etc.). The materialproperties (e.g., softness, ductility, etc.) of the annealed conductivematerial may facilitate the relatively simple and efficient placement ofthe wire 106 around the structure 104 as compared to a non-annealedversion of the conductive material. In some embodiments, the conductivematerial of the wire 106 is formed of and includes annealed,substantially pure Ni (e.g., annealed Ni200). In additional embodiments,the conductive material of the wire 106 is formed of and includesannealed, substantially pure Cu. In further embodiments, the conductivematerial of the wire 106 comprises a non-annealed conductive material.In such embodiments, the material properties of the non-annealedconductive material may be sufficient to facilitate the simple andefficient placement of the wire 106 around the structure 104.

The conductive material of the wire 106 may take the form of a single(e.g., monolithic, unitary, etc.), solid structure. For example, thewire 106 may comprise a single, solid conductive structure (e.g., asingle, solid, annealed, substantially pure Ni structure; a single,solid, annealed, substantially pure Cu structure; etc.), as opposed to,for instance, multiple solid conductive structures (e.g., as in astranded wire configuration). In some embodiments, the wire 106comprises a single, solid, annealed Ni200 structure. The single, solidstructure of the conductive material may facilitate the simple andefficient placement of the wire 106 around the structure 104, and mayalso facilitate the simple and efficient formation of a relativelyrobust (e.g., strong, non-brittle, etc.) and durable fused regionbetween the wire 106 and the structure 104 through subsequent processing(e.g., as compared to a fused region formed between the structure 104and a stranded wire comprising multiple solid conductive structures), asdescribed in further detail below. In additional embodiments, theconductive material of the wire 106 may take the form of multiple solidconductive structures (e.g., as in a stranded wire configuration).

The wire 106 may exhibit any desired shape and any desired sizefacilitating the attachment of the wire 106 to the structure 104. Theshape and the size of the wire 106 may facilitate direct physicalcontact between the structure 104 and at least a portion of the wire106. The shape and the size of the wire 106 may be selected to maximizethe surface area of the wire 106 that directly physically contacts thesurface area of the structure 104. For example, the shape and the sizeof the structure 104 may be selected to permit a portion of the wire 106to be coiled (e.g., spiraled) around the structure 104 withsubstantially no space (e.g., separation) between each sidewall 108 ofthe structure 104 and a surface of the coiled portion of the wire 106across an entire length of the coiled portion of the wire 106. In someembodiments, the wire 106 comprises a generally cylindrical structureexhibiting a maximum width W₂ (e.g., a maximum diameter) that is smallerthan the width W₁ of the structure 104, and a length sufficient toattach the wire 106 to the structure 104 and at least one additionalstructure. In additional embodiments, the wire 106 may exhibit adifferent shape (e.g., a different generally cylindrical shape, agenerally rectangular shape, a tape shape, an irregular shape, etc.)and/or a different size (e.g., a different width, a different length,etc.). Accordingly, the wire 106 may exhibit any desired transversecross-sectional shape (e.g., a circular shape, an ovular shape, a squareshape, a rectangular shape, a trapezium shape, a trapezoidal shape, aparallelogram shape, an annular shape, a triangular shape, asemicircular shape, an elliptical shape, etc.) and any desired lateralcross-sectional area. In some embodiments, the wire 106 comprises 26gauge annealed Ni200 wire.

With reference to FIG. 1, the wire 106 may be partially coiled aroundthe structure 104. For example, beginning at a lower region (e.g., abase) of the structure 104 (e.g., a region of the structure 104proximate the upper surface 116 of the substrate 102), the wire 106 mayprogressively coil (e.g., spiral, wrap, etc.) upward around the sidewall108 of the structure 104. In some embodiments, the sheathed region 112of the wire 106 is coiled around a periphery of the lower region of thestructure 104, and the unsheathed region 114 of the wire 106 is coiledaround a periphery of an upper region of the structure 104 (e.g., aregion of the structure 104 more proximate the upper surface 110 of thestructure 104, a region of the structure 104 more distal to the uppersurface 116 of the substrate 102). In additional embodiments, theunsheathed region 114 of the wire 106 is coiled around a periphery ofthe lower region of the structure 104 and around a periphery of theupper region of the structure 104. Coiling the wire 106 around thestructure 104 may reduce strain between the wire 106 and a subsequentlyformed fused region (e.g., weld joint) between the wire 106 and thestructure 104 as compared to conventional means of attaching a wire toanother structure (e.g., a pin). Reducing the strain between the wire106 and the subsequently formed fused region may significantly reducethe risk of the wire 106 becoming separated from (e.g., detached from,pulled away from, etc.) the structure 104, improving the durability andreliability of the microelectronic device structure 100 as compared toconventional microelectronic device structures not including a coiledconfiguration of a wire relative to another structure.

The wire 106 may be coiled around the at least one sidewall 108 of thestructure 104 greater than or equal to about one time (1×). The numberof times the wire 106 is coiled around the sidewall 108 may leastpartially depend on the configurations (e.g., sizes, shapes, materialcompositions, etc.) of the structure 104 and the wire 106, and on thedesired amount of strain relief between the wire 106 and a subsequentlyformed fused region (e.g., weld joint) between the wire 106 and thestructure 104 (e.g., which may at least partially depend on theparticular application of the microelectronic device structure 100). Insome embodiments, the sheathed region 112 of the wire 106 and theunsheathed region 114 of the wire 106 are each independently coiledaround the sidewall 108 of the structure 104 greater than or equal toabout one time (e.g., greater than or equal to about one and one-halftimes (1.5×), between about one and one-half times (1.5×) and about twotimes (2×), greater than or equal to about two times (2×), etc.). Inadditional embodiments, only the unsheathed region 114 of the wire 106is coiled around the sidewall 108 of the structure 104 greater than orequal to about one (1) time (e.g., greater than or equal to about oneand one-half times (1.5×), between about one and one-half times (1.5×)and about two times (2×), greater than or equal to about two times (2×),greater than or equal to about three times (3×), greater than or equalto about four times (4×), etc.).

The wire 106 may be coiled around the at least one sidewall 108 of thestructure 104 up to the height H₁ of the structure 104. A maximum heightof the coiled the wire 106 may be less than, substantially equal to, orgreater than the height H₁ (of the structure 104. In some embodiments,the maximum height of the coiled portion of the wire 106 is less thanthe height H₁ of the structure 104. In additional embodiments, themaximum height of the coiled portion of the wire 106 is approximatelyequal to the height H₁ of the structure 104. In further embodiments, themaximum height of the coiled portion of the wire 106 is greater than theheight H₁ of the structure 104. Optionally, a terminal end of the wire106 may be shaped to facilitate a relatively smooth transition betweenthe terminal end of the wire 106 and the upper surface 110 of thestructure 104. As a non-limiting example, the terminal end of the wire106 may be non-perpendicularly angled (e.g., an oblique angle) relativeto a central axis of the wire 106 such that the terminal end of the wire106 is at least closer to being coplanar with the upper surface 110 ofthe structure 104 than if the terminal end of the wire 106 wasperpendicularly angled relative to the central axis of the wire 106. Thenon-perpendicular angle of the terminal end of the wire 106 relative tothe central axis of the wire 106 may impede or prevent the formation ofa hole (e.g., a void) at the location of the terminal end of the wire106 in a subsequently formed fused region between the wire 106 and thestructure 104. In additional embodiments, the terminal end of the wire106 may be perpendicularly angled relative to a central axis of the wire106.

The wire 106 may be tightly coiled around the at least one sidewall 108of the structure 104 such that there is substantially no lateralseparation (e.g., no lateral space, no lateral gap, etc.) between thesidewall 108 of the structure 104 and a surface of the wire 106 alongthe coiled portion of the wire 106. Having substantially no lateralseparation between the sidewall 108 of the structure 104 and the coiledportion of the wire 106 may at least partially (e.g., entirely)eliminate the need for filler material during subsequent processing(e.g., subsequent welding) to form a fused region between the structure104 and the wire 106. In addition, the wire 106 may be coiled such thatthere is substantially no longitudinal separation (e.g., no longitudinalspace, no longitudinal gap, etc.) between immediately longitudinallyadjacent coils of the coiled portion of the wire 106, or may be coiledsuch that there is longitudinal separation between at least one coil ofthe coiled portion of the wire 106 and at least other coil of the coiledportion of the wire 106 immediately longitudinally adjacent to the atleast one coil. Furthermore, the sidewall 108 of the structure 104 maybe substantially completely covered by the coiled portion of the wire106, or one or more portions of the sidewall 108 of the structure 104may remain uncovered by the coiled portion of the wire 106. In someembodiments, the wire 106 is configured such that one or more of aportion of an upper region of the sidewall 108 of the structure 104 anda portion of a lower region of the sidewall 108 of the structure 104remain uncovered by the coiled portion of the wire 106.

While various embodiments herein are described and illustrated in thecontext of the microelectronic device structure 100 including only onewire 106 (i.e., a single wire 106), the microelectronic device structure100 may, alternatively, include more than one wire 106 (i.e., multiplewires 106). In such embodiments, each of the multiple wires 106 may besubstantially the same (e.g., exhibit substantially the same shape,size, material composition, sheathing, and coiling) as one another, orat least one of the multiple wires 106 may be different (e.g., exhibitone or more of a different shape, a different size, a different materialcomposition, different sheathing, and different coiling) than at leastone other of the multiple wires 106.

The wire 106 may be formed on or over the upper surface 116 of thesubstrate 102 and around the sidewall 108 of the structure 104 usingconventional processes (e.g., sheath removal processes, wire coilingprocesses, wire cutting processes, etc.) and conventional processingequipment, which are not described in detail herein. By way ofnon-limiting example, a predetermined length of the insulative material(e.g., the insulative sheath) of the wire 106 may be removed using atleast one stripping process (e.g., a thermal stripping process) to formthe unsheathed region 114 of the wire 106 and the remaining, sheathedregion 112 of the wire 106. At least a portion of the unsheathed region114 and, optionally, a portion of the sheathed region 112, may then beprogressively coiled up and around the sidewall 108 of the structure 104using at least one wire coiling device (e.g., a wire wrapping tool, alathe collet, etc.). Upon achieving a predetermined height of the coiledportion of the wire 106 (e.g., less than or equal to the height H₁ ofthe structure 104), the terminal end of the wire 106 may be cut (e.g.,diagonally cut, orthogonally cut, etc.). The cut terminal end of thewire 106 may then be pressed down to physically contact an underlyingcoil of the wire 106 and the sidewall 108 of the structure 104.

In further embodiments, the wire 106 may be positioned adjacent to thestructure 104 in a substantially uncoiled configuration. Thesubstantially uncoiled configuration of the wire 106 may, for example,facilitate the subsequent formation of a lap joint or a butt jointbetween the structure 104 and the wire 106. As a non-limiting example,the wire 106 may be positioned adjacent the sidewall 108 of thestructure 104 without being coiled up and around the sidewall 108. Asanother non-limiting example, the wire 106 may be positioned on theupper surface 110 of the structure 104. Such uncoiled configurations ofthe wire 106 relative to the structure 104 may not facilitate as muchstrain relief between the wire 106 and a subsequently formed fusedregion (e.g., lap joint, butt joint, etc.), but may still provide thesubsequently formed fused region with enhanced properties (e.g., thermalstability, corrosion resistance, etc.) as compared to a conventionalfused region between a wire and another structure (e.g., pin). In suchembodiments, a sleeve structure (e.g., a collar structure) may,optionally, be provided on or over portions of the subsequently formedfused region, the structure 104, and the wire 106 to enhance stiffnessat the fused region and mitigate any effects of necking down between thefused region and at least one of the wire 106 and the structure 104.

Referring next to FIG. 2, the microelectronic device structure 100 maybe subjected to at least one welding process to form at least one fusedregion 118 (e.g., weld joint) between the structure 104 and the wire106. The welding process may melt an upper portion of the structure 104and an upper portion of the wire 106 coiled around the upper portion ofthe structure 104 to form the fused region 118. The fused region 118 mayexhibit properties (e.g., mechanical strength, thermal resistance,chemical resistance, wear resistance, etc.) favorable to the use of themicroelectronic device structure 100 in hostile environmental conditions(e.g., high temperatures, high pressures, corrosive conditions, abrasiveconditions, etc.), such as the environment conditions of variousdownhole applications.

As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the fused region 118 exhibits agenerally dome-shaped structure. For example, the fused region 118 mayinclude an arcuate (e.g., curved, rounded, etc.) upper surface 120. Inadditional embodiments, the fused region 118 exhibits a shape other thana generally dome-shaped structure. For example, the fused region 118 maycomprise at least two joints (e.g., at least two laterally opposingjoints, such as at least two laterally opposing weld joints; at leastthree symmetrically distributed joints, such as at least threesymmetrically distributed weld joints; etc.) disposed between the upperportion of the structure 104 and the upper portion of the wire 106coiled around the upper portion of the structure 104. The fused region118 may extend outwardly beyond the lateral boundaries of the at leastone sidewall 108 of the structure 104 (FIG. 1). The fused region 118 mayextend substantially uniformly (e.g., evenly) outwardly beyond thelateral boundaries of the sidewall 108, or may extend non-uniformly(e.g., non-evenly) outwardly beyond the lateral boundaries of thesidewall 108. In addition, the fused region 118 may be substantiallyconfined within the lateral boundaries of a remaining coiled portion(e.g., a remaining coiled portion of the unsheathed region 114) of thewire 106, or may extend outwardly beyond the lateral boundaries of aremaining coiled portion (e.g., a remaining coiled portion of theunsheathed region 114) of the wire 106 thereunder.

The material composition of the fused region 118 at least partiallydepends on the material compositions of the structure 104 and the wire106. In some embodiments, such as in embodiments wherein the structure104 is formed of and includes a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy (e.g.,KOVAR® alloy) and the wire 106 is formed of and includes Ni (e.g.,Ni200), the fused region 118 is formed of and includes Ni, Co, and Fe.The fused region 118 may be substantially homogeneous (e.g., exhibitinga substantially uniform distribution of each material componentthereof), or may be heterogeneous (e.g., exhibiting a non-uniformdistribution of at least one material component thereof). In someembodiments, the fused region 118 is substantially homogeneous. If, forexample, the structure 104 is formed of and includes a nickel-cobaltferrous alloy and the wire 106 is formed of and includes Ni, the fusedregion 118 may exhibit a substantially uniform distribution of each ofNi, Co, and Fe throughout a thickness and a width thereof. In additionalembodiments, the fused region 118 is heterogeneous. If, for example, thestructure 104 is formed of and includes a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloyand the wire 106 is formed of and includes Ni, the fused region 118 mayexhibit a substantially non-uniform distribution of one or more of Ni,Co, and Fe throughout one or more of a thickness and a width thereof.

Any welding process suitable to form the fused region 118 between thestructure 104 and the wire 106 may be utilized. By way of non-limitingexample, at least one micro welding process may be used to form thefused region 118. Suitable micro welding processes include, but are notlimited to, laser welding processes; pulse arc welding processes, suchas micro gas tungsten arc welding (micro-GTAW) (also known as microtungsten inert gas (micro-TIG) welding) processes, and micro plasma arcwelding (micro-PAW) processes; resistance discharge welding processes;and capacitive discharge welding processes.

In some embodiments, the microelectronic device structure 100 issubjected to at least one laser welding process to form the fused region118. The laser welding process may include exposing surfaces of thestructure 104 and the wire 106 (e.g., the upper surface 110 of thestructure 104 and surfaces of the coiled portion of the wire 106proximate the upper surface 110 of the structure 104) to at least onelaser beam to heat and melt portions of the structure 104 and the wire106 and form at least a portion of the fused region 118 upon cooling.The parameters (e.g., laser type, applied power, duration, etc.) of thelaser welding process may be tailored to the material compositions ofthe structure 104 and the wire 106 to minimize reflection of the laserbeam (and, hence, maximize absorption of incident laser energy) andavoid undesirable damage to the microelectronic device structure 100.Non-limiting examples of suitable lasers for the laser welding processmay include neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers,carbon dioxide (CO₂) lasers, diode lasers, and fiber lasers. In someembodiments, the welding process includes subjecting exposed surfaces ofthe structure 104 and the wire 106 to at least one Nd:YAG laser to formthe fused region 118. The laser employed in the laser welding processmay be operated in either a pulsed mode or a continuous mode. Inaddition, the laser welding process may form the fused region 118without employing a filler material, or may utilize a filler material toform the fused region 118. In some embodiments, the laser weldingprocess forms the fused region 118 without the use of a filler material.

In additional embodiments, the microelectronic device structure 100 issubjected to at least one pulse arc welding process to form the fusedregion 118. The pulse arc welding process may include forming at leastone electric arc to heat and melt portions of the structure 104 and thewire 106 and form at least a portion of the fused region 118 uponcooling. The pulse arc welding process may comprise a transferred arcprocess or a non-transferred arc process. If a transferred arc processis utilized, at least one electric arc may be formed between anelectrode (e.g., a non-consumable electrode, such as a tungstenelectrode) and surfaces of the structure 104 and the wire 106 in thepresence of a gas (e.g., an inert or semi-inert shield gas for amicro-GTAW process, such as a micro-TIG welding process; a gas plasmaand an inert or semi-inert shield gas for a micro-PAW process; etc.) toheat and melt portions of the structure 104 and the wire 106 and form atleast a portion of the fused region 118 upon cooling. If anon-transferred arc process is utilized, at least one electric arc maybe formed between an electrode (e.g., a non-consumable electrode, suchas a tungsten electrode) and a nozzle in the presence of a gas plasma,and an arc plasma exiting the nozzle may be directed to surfaces of thestructure 104 and the wire 106 to heat and melt portions of thestructure 104 and the wire 106 and form at least a portion of the fusedregion 118 upon cooling. In some embodiments, the welding processincludes subjecting surfaces of the structure 104 and the wire 106(e.g., the upper surface 110 of the structure 104 and surfaces of thecoiled portion of the wire 106 proximate the upper surface 110 of thestructure 104) to a micro-TIG welding process to form the fused region118. The parameters (e.g., electrode, shielding gases, current pulselevels, applied power, duration, etc.) of the pulsed arc welding processmay be tailored to the material compositions of the structure 104 andthe wire 106 to provide desired weld properties (e.g., weld penetration,welding speed, weld pool control, weld quality, etc.) while avoidingundesirable damage (e.g., distortion, warpage, cracking, etc.) to one ormore components of the microelectronic device structure 100. The pulsedarc welding process may form the fused region 118 without employing afiller material, or may utilize a filler material to form the fusedregion 118. In some embodiments, the pulsed arc welding process formsthe fused region 118 without the use of a filler material.

The microelectronic device structure 100 may be exposed to a singlewelding process to form the fused region 118, or may be exposed tomultiple welding processes to form the fused region 118. If multiplewelding processes are utilized, one or more initial welding processesmay form a preliminary fused region, and one or more secondary weldingprocesses may modify one or more properties (e.g., shape, size,homogeneity, etc.) of the preliminary fused region to form the fusedregion 118. For example, at least one initial welding process (e.g., aninitial laser welding process, an initial pulse arc welding process,etc.) may be used to continuously weld or spot weld different portionsof one or more interfaces between the structure 104 and the wire 106 andform a preliminary fused region, and at least one additional weldingprocess (e.g., an additional laser welding process, an additional pulsearc welding process, etc.) may be use to smooth out and increase thehomogeneity of the preliminary fused region to form the fused region118. Each of the multiple welding processes may be substantially thesame, or at least one of the multiple welding processes may be differentthan at least one other of the multiple welding processes. In someembodiments, an initial Nd:YAG laser-based welding process is performedto form a plurality (e.g., from three (3) to six (6), such as from four(4) to five (5)) of initial welds (e.g., overlapping welds) alonginterfaces between surfaces (e.g., the sidewall 108, the upper surface110) of an upper portion of the structure 104 and adjacent surfaces ofthe wire 106, and an additional Nd:YAG laser-based welding process isperformed to modify (e.g., melt, smoothen, etc.) the initial welds andform the fused region 118.

The structures and methods of the disclosure facilitate the lesscomplicated and efficient formation of microelectronic device structures(e.g., the microelectronic device structure 100) exhibiting enhancedproperties (e.g., thermal stability, corrosion resistance, erosionresistance, etc.) under various environmental conditions (e.g., hightemperatures, high pressures, corrosive conditions, abrasive conditions,etc.) as compared to conventional microelectronic device structuresexhibiting different configurations of one or more components. Forexample, the configuration of the microelectronic device structure 100(e.g., including the configurations of the structure 104, the wire 106,and the fused region 118 between the structure 104 and the wire 106) mayavoid one or more problems (e.g., undesirable material migration;structural weak points, such as necked-down regions; structuraldetachments, such as strain-based wire detachments; etc.) associatedwith the configurations of conventional microelectronic devicestructures. In turn, microelectronic devices including themicroelectronic device structures (e.g., the microelectronic devicestructure 100) of the disclosure may exhibit increased reliability,performance, and durability relative to conventional microelectronicdevices exhibiting different configurations of one or more components.

While embodiments of the disclosure may be susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have beenshown by way of example in the drawings and have been described indetail herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosure isnot limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the disclosureencompasses all modifications, variations, combinations, andalternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure as defined bythe following appended claims and their legal equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A microelectronic device structure, comprising: astructure protruding from a surface of another structure, andcomprising: a proximal region adjacent an interface between thestructure and the surface of the another structure; and a distal regionopposing the proximal region; a wire coiled around at least one sidewallof the structure; and a fused region integral and continuous with thedistal region of the structure and a terminal end of the wire.
 2. Themicroelectronic device structure of claim 1, wherein the wire comprisesa single, solid, substantially homogeneous metal structure.
 3. Themicroelectronic device structure of claim 2, wherein the wire furthercomprises an insulative sheath physically contacting and surrounding aperiphery of the single, solid, substantially homogeneous metalstructure.
 4. The microelectronic device structure of claim 1, whereinthe structure comprises a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy, the wirecomprises substantially pure nickel, and the fused region comprisesnickel, cobalt, and iron.
 5. The microelectronic device structure ofclaim 1, wherein the fused region is substantially homogeneous.
 6. Themicroelectronic device structure of claim 1, wherein the fused regionexhibits a non-planar surface and extends outwardly beyond lateralboundaries of at least one sidewall of the structure.
 7. Amicroelectronic device, comprising: a microelectronic device structurecomprising: at least one structure longitudinally projecting from asurface of another structure; and at least one wire coupled to the atleast one structure, a portion of the at least one wire coiled up andaround the at least one structure and attached to the at least onestructure through at least one fused region integral and continuous withthe at least one structure and the at least one wire.
 8. Themicroelectronic device of claim 7, wherein the at least one wirecomprises only one solid, substantially homogeneous, annealed metalstructure.